If you were late with your previous entries or feel you need extra credit for whatever reason, comment on any of the numbered blog entries (LBGTQIA+ YA, Hayao Miyazaki, Adventure Time.) The more you do, the more extra credit you accrue.
Post reactions ( minimum 250 words) to the reading linked below. Students are encouraged (but not required) to additionally respond to other student reactions.
"The Fantastic Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki." A new book by Tufts professor Susan Napier analyzes the Japanese anime director’s films—and his life. Click heading to read article.
"Hayao Miyazaki and the Art of Being a Woman" by Gabrielle Bellot. The famed Japanese animator and director created heroines who defied feminine stereotypes and showed me how to be at home in my own skin. Click heading to read article.
"Hayao Miyazaki's 50 Favorite Children's Books." Click heading to review list.
"The Animated Life." New Yorker staff writer Margaret Talbot discusses the animator Hayao Miyazaki’s films, his influences, and his temperament. Click heading to read interview
2 comments:
Miyazaki is one of the few directors of animation who gets true acclaim in the West among wider cinema critics, which truly serves as a testament to the quality of his work, since the medium still isn’t as respected as it ought to be in those circles. I think you mentioned the concept of “ma” in class, which he’s really good at: the time in between clapping builds tension in a way that constant action with little breathing space can’t do. Many of his movies feel like a coming-of-age, too, but are purposefully ambiguous with how they end. Napier mentions how there is an “American inability to tolerate ambiguity,” where leaving the ending ambiguous is frowned upon, but with Miyazaki’s works, it always feels like the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one rather than the complete end. Like life, the answers aren’t clear and definite: as an example, many of the threads of the dream-like Spirited Away’s plot are left unanswered, which the article also mentions. That ambiguity makes the movies even more memorable, in my opinion.
An interesting thing I found in a separate interview was that Miyazaki doesn’t actively plan on choosing a girl as his theme: to him, “when we compare a man in action and a girl in action, I feel girls are more gallant. If a boy is walking with a long stride, I don't think anything particular, but if a girl is walking gallantly, I feel ‘that's cool.’” Which was an interesting perspective to read, especially with how often women are used as the main character in his movies. Also, I’m really not surprised that one of his favorite childhood books is The Prince; it’s very on-brand of him.
The only of Miyazaki's films that i have watched is Spirited Away and I've been planning to watch some of his other popular movies. What really stands out to me about his movie was how cozy it felt and how it didn't feel rushed at all. The monotony showed in a lot of the clips I have seen are so beautiful to me because they have this vibe that I don't find in almost any other movies. I read the article about how Miyazaki portrays women, and I found it to be really interesting and it made me more interested in watching his movies. It talks about how he showed lots of instances of quiet and monotony to show what real life is like, which sets his movie apart from many American movies that are afraid of silence being perceived as boring. I find this to be one of the reasons why his movies are so charming. This relates to how he humanizes the characters, especially the women and some villains, more than other movies do. This appeals to me because I like it when movies have strong female protagonists or at least give them complex personalities since that is not seen often enough in media. Aside from the article, what I love about the little clips I've seen is how comforting and real they seem mixed with the pretty hand-drawn animation. Overall, I really want to watch some more of his movies when I get the chance since I enjoyed Spirited Away.
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